(1) Field of the Invention
This invention concerns the removal, separation and recovery of waste material stored in a container, and especially waste material stored in industrial drums. More specifically, the bottoms of the containers are removed and the contents of the containers are emptied in a waste pulper that both grinds the waste material and separates the waste material into a pumpable liquid fraction and a solids fraction.
(2) Description of the Art
The art discloses methods and apparatus for separating waste material held in drums. The art also discloses the use of a pulper to grind specific types of grindable materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,368 discloses an apparatus for recovering liquid and solid fractions from waste materials held in industrial drums. The waste material is dropped into a sorter in which solid or large pieces of waste are separated from the liquid/sludge portion of the waste by a screen type separation.
A waste pulper known as a Hydrapulper, manufactured by Black Clawson located at Middletown, OH has been used for many years in the paper industry to defiber wood pulp. It has also been used for tar sand processing. Hydrapulper literature from Black Clawson indicates that the apparatus may be used in applications besides pulping. Possible applications disclosed include chemicals, rendering and agricultural residues.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,480 described the use of a waste pulper similar to those used in the lumber industry to reduce the size of tar sand pieces.
The art does not disclose nor does it suggest the concept of combining a mechanical container emptying apparatus with a waste pulper similar to those used in the lumber industry to recover and separate waste materials held in containers.